Dubai: The 18th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival will be held from January 3 to February 3, organisers have announced.

The Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), an agency under the Department of Economic Development, aims to build on the huge success of last year’s event and will again project “Dubai at its Best” as its marketing slogan and promises a rich and varied programme of events.

“Our stakeholders and partners were very positive with our main message last year and were very excited about it, to the extent that most of them incorporated “Dubai at its Best” into their own individual campaigns and products, which sent a strong message to the world that Dubai brings out the best of everything during the festival,” said Laila Mohammad Suhail, DEPE CEO.

“This year, again with the help of our strategic partners and sponsors from the private and public sectors, we are planning to capitalise on this success and reaffirm this statement through a diverse offering of shopping, competitions and entertainment.”

Launched in 1996 under the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as a leading tourist destination, Dubai Shopping Festival stayed true to its slogan “One World, One Family, One Festival” and has attracted more than 42 million visitors from across the world, who have spent close to Dh100 billion.

Laila indicated that the dates for DSF 2013 were decided in consideration of the spring break in neighbouring countries and some international target markets, but also stressed the importance of announcing the dates of the event as early as possible to allow many stakeholders to plan for the events.

“Government agencies, event organisers, the retail and hospitality sectors, tour operators, tourists and many others would benefit from knowing the dates of DSF in advance. This announcement also comes as part of enhancing the Dubai Calendar brand, the gateway for a more eventful Dubai and the official point of reference for all events happening in Dubai across the year,” said Laila.

In addition to the shopping and prizes, hundreds of other events and activities are planned, from international concerts, musicals and shows, to sports, outdoor and fashion events.

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